Marvel Snap gets a jolt of excitement with High Voltage mode

Marvel Snap's latest limited-time game mode has arrived. High Voltage goes in a slightly different direction from the core game and even from previous limited-time modes like Deadpool's Diner. It's a different way to experience Second Dinner's card game and something that proved to be a healthy challenge for the team, in terms of design.

"Where something like Deadpool's Diner was focused more on the Bubs, Snapping, and the meta things outside the core game of playing Snap, High Voltage is aimed more at changing the core game of Snap," Design Director Ben Hayes explained in a closed press briefing.

Released as part of the October 2024 season, High Voltage cuts the typical Marvel Snap session in half. Players will only compete across three turns. Each new turn will offer an extra 2-5 energy with the additional number determined at random. Players will also draw two cards per turn. It's an interesting way to experience Snap and one that requires a different kind of strategy.

With that said, the Second Dinner team is aware that certain cards and locations don't quite fit in this mode. They mostly pertain to cards that drag the game out or take effect after Turn 4. That means locations like Westview, TVA, Strange Academy, Klyntar, and similar areas that don't do anything until Turn 4 or 5 will not show up. As far as specific cards, Magik is banned due to her penchant for dragging the game out with Limbo. Similarly, Galactus is being put on the bench, just it's theoretically possible to play him early and suck some of the fun out of the game. The last card on the ban list isn't one that some would guess, but makes sense after giving it some thought. It's Black Widow and that's because of High Voltage's mechanic of drawing two cards for every new turn. Widow's Bite can provide a borderline-unfair advantage for whoever can play Black Widow and Second Dinner could foresee this becoming an issue, especially when combined with cards like Absorbing Man.

Just like with Deadpool's Diner, there's incentive to play through High Voltage. A new card is part of the rewards track. Agony is a 1-Cost, 2-Power card with an effect that merges it with any subsequent cards played in its location. Unlike Deadpool's Diner, there's less pressure when it comes to unlocking this card. There's no Snapping, so players won't have to worry about being on the wrong end of a result and being farther away from the big reward. Plus, High Voltage will have its own set of Missions, which will allow players to make further progress toward the mode's rewards.

High Voltage is a nice jumpstart for those who may want something different than the core Marvel Snap experience. Second Dinner is hoping to generate some extra excitement with the game mode's trailer, which brings legendary Micro Machines pitchman John Moschitta Jr. out of retirement. This game mode won't be around forever, available to play starting today and ending on October 24. With that said, Second Dinner is open to bringing it back sometime down the road if it proves popular. In the meantime, look for Deadpool's Diner to make its return next month as part of the latest Marvel Snap Development Roadmap.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?